WJC congratulates incoming UNESCO Director-General Azoulay on appointment, expresses hope for pushback against ongoing politicization
Fri, 10 Nov 2017
NEW YORK – World Jewish Congress CEO and Executive Vice President Robert Singer congratulated former French Culture Minister Audrey Azoulay on her appointment Friday as incoming Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and expressed hope that she would push for much-needed reforms to address the ongoing politicization of UNESCO.
“The World Jewish Congress congratulates Ms. Azoulay on her appointment as UNESCO Director-General and is confident that she will strive for excellence in all of the critical fields encompassed by this position.
“UNESCO, as too many other international bodies, has been hijacked by the political agendas of some of its member states resulting in the adoption of egregious decisions, including the attempts to rewrite history and deny the historic Jewish link to its ancient homeland. This relentless bias and double standard against Israel must come to an end.
“We are hopeful that Ms. Azoulay will maximize her position to address the issues of concern for Israel and the Jewish world, and push for the reforms so deeply needed to return UNESCO to its core mandate of contributing to peace and security in the world by promoting collaboration among nations through education, science, culture and communication for the sake of justice, rule of law, and human rights and freedoms.
“The World Jewish Congress has maintained an excellent relationship with outgoing UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, and recently signed an agreement to launch together an innovative Holocaust education website geared at providing youth with essential information about the history of the Holocaust, its denial, and its legacy.
“We are looking forward to continuing this relationship and this work with Ms. Azoulay, and engaging positively on issues of mutual concern.
“In my recent meeting with Ms. Azoulay, I was encouraged by her forthcoming interest and commitment to the issues at hand.
“We do not expect any miracles among UNESCO voting states over night, but we are confident that change is indeed possible. We wish Ms. Azoulay the best of luck in the four years ahead.”
We welcome any comments you may have on this article. Comments are moderated and we reserve the right to edit or remove any which are derogatory or offensive. The WJC is not responsible for the content of any comments.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Hungarian football club dedicates match against Israeli club to legendary Holocaust-era coach who saved Jewish lives
The Hungarian team’s move to dedicate the match to István Tóth, a former FTC player and coach, is the first concrete step being taken by the government to combat anti-Semitism following its joint declaration to that effect on behalf of 21 co-sponsoring nations delivered to the UN Human Rights Council, at the initiative of the WJC.
WJC urges UNHRC to recognize that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism
“I was born and raised in Paris and I am a Jew. Mireille Knoll could have been my grandmother. Mireille Knoll is my grandmother. Mireille Knoll is our grandmother,” says WJC Jewish Diplomat Caroline Berdugo
WJC condemns desecration of Jewish monument in Greece, calls on authorities to follow through with commitment to fighting anti-Semitism
"We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki and in Greece to fight combat racism, anti-Semitism and hatred under difficult circumstances."
Pitch for Hope competition calls on youth in UK, US, and Israel to propose creative ideas for curbing racism and anti-Semitism in sports
Chelsea and World Jewish Congress launch first stage of Red Card for Hate program.
Charlotte Knobloch | What We German Jews hear When the U.S. ambassador says he wants to 'empower' toxic populists
The newly-appointed American ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, is now joining the populist chorus by stating in a recent interview with the far-right Breitbart website that he wants to "empower" the "resurgence" of "anti-establishment" conservative forces - the same language used by the AfD - throughout Europe.
On the 75th anniversary of the destruction of Warsaw Ghetto, remembering those we’ve lost
"On a train from Berlin to Poland last week, I thought about my brother Benjamin, who was five-and-a-half when he was murdered by the Nazis. Today I honor his memory and the memory of all who perished in the Holocaust." WJC General Counsel Menachem Rosensaft's address to the annual Holocaust Remembrance Program in the Rotunda of the Supreme Court, New York County, as published in Tablet.
Ronald S. Lauder: “The Jews Will Never Forget the Bravery of the Bulgarians”
Bulgaria's Magazine 79 interview WJC President Lauder during commemoration events of the 75th anniversary of the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews.
There are no comments
Fill up the form above and be the first one